In 893 the kingdom of Wessex is once more plagued by Viking attacks. Wareham is obliged to strengthen its defences against the threat posed by huge fleet of Viking longships which are rampaging along the south coast and could strike there at any time.
Meanwhile, having recognised Edward’s true lineage, King Alfred fears that the boy may fall victim to every fraudster in the realm seeking to get their hands on the vast fortune he’s set to inherit.
Worse still, given his newly established bloodline, he could well be used by those wishing to usurp Alfred as King.
The most immediate threat to the boy comes from his treacherous uncle, Edmund, who has already tried once to kill him and failed.
He is believed to have fled to join a band of desperate thieves in Wareham Forest from where he could strike again at any time.
The Prodigal Son by Chris Bishop is published on 13 June, 2023. It’s the fifth and last book in his The Shadow of the Raven series.
Chris’s feature about the historical background to this book will appear in Historia soon. Meanwhile, you may enjoy these related pieces he’s written about the period:
Was King Alfred really the father of the English navy?
Horses in battle at the time of Alfred the Great
